The Finest Hotel in Kabul

<p><b>WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2026</b></p><p><b>The Number 1 <i>Sunday Times</i> Bestseller</b><Br><b><i>The Times</i>, <i>Financial Times</i>, <i>Guardian</i>, <i>Observer</i> and <i>Economist</i> Book of the Year</b><Br><b>Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction</b></p><p><b><u>A sweeping and immersive history of modern Afghanistan – the first book from one of the world’s leading war correspondents.</u></b></p><p><b>'Simply unforgettable' ELIF SHAFAK</b><Br><b>'Terrific' <i>THE TIMES</i></b><Br><b>'Incredible' PETER FRANKOPAN</b><Br><b>'Powerful and charming' <i>FINANCIAL TIMES</i></b><Br><b>'Utterly compelling' PHILIPPE SANDS</b><Br><b>'Masterly' <i>TELEGRAPH</i></b><Br><b>'Ingenious' KAMILA SHAMSIE</b><Br><b>'A must-read' <i>SUNDAY TIMES</i></b><Br><b>'Beautiful' RORY STEWART</b></p><p>In 1969, the Hotel Inter-Continental Kabul opened for the first time: a glistening white box, high on a hill, that symbolised Afghans’ hopes for a more prosperous future.</p><p>In the decades since, its staff have kept working through multiple coups, a Soviet occupation, the US-led invasion, and the rise, fall and rise of the Taliban. The Inter-Con has never closed its doors.</p><p>Here, Lyse Doucet offers a vividly human history of modern Afghanistan through the lives of the people who have kept the Inter-Con running.</p><p>It is the story of a hotel, and the story of a people.</p><p>_</p><p><b>Shortlisted for the Nero Book Awards</b><Br><b>Shortlisted for the RSL Ondaatje Prize</b><Br><b>Shortlisted for the RSL Christopher Bland Prize</b></p><p><b>‘Haunting, hopeful and occasionally harrowing . . . much more than a history. It is a love letter to Afghanistan and its people.’ <i>Sunday Times</i></b></p><p><b>‘Full of warmth, wit, and a lovely eye for the human stories that make the hotel not just a monument to tragedy, but also love and resilience.’ <i>Financial Times</i></b></p><p><b>‘Beautifully written and observed . . . One of the finest journalists of her generation.’ <i>Observer</i></b></p><p><b>‘Wonderfully human . . . A masterly evocation of a supremely complex decade in Afghanistan’s history.’ <i>Daily Telegraph</i></b></p><p><b>‘A monument to Afghan resilience and to the bravery and persistence of its staff . . . Witty, observant and sometimes heartbreaking.’ <i>Guardian</i></b></p>